Reversible feed mechanism for sewing-machines.



No. 769,503. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904 W. A. SMITH. REVERSIBLE FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.3,1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904 W. A. SMITH. REVERSIBLE FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES,

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3. 1908 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

" al -I14 WITNESSES."

ATTORNE 1 Patented .s'eptember 6, 1904:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'ILLIS AUSTIN SMITH, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

REVERSIBLE FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,503, dated September 6, 1904. Application filed December 3,1903. Serial No. 183,612. (No model.)

To all whom it NMLZ/ cancer/L:

Be it known that I, lVILLIs AUSTIN SMIrII, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Reversible Feed Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in re versible feed mechanisms for sewing-machines of the class disclosed in a prior application for Letters Patent filed by me on October 21, 1902, Serial No. 128,568, patent dated December 29, 1903, No. 748,431, whereinl have disclosed a feed-bar which carries a feed-dog, means for imparting four-way motion to the feedbar, and a controlling or adjusting bar connected with one group of devices by which the feed-bar is actuated to secure the risingand-falling motion.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a device for releasing and moving endwise the controlling or adjusting bar by a simple turn of said device in one direction or the other.

A further object is to provide simple means for releasing the adjusting-bar without moving it endwise.

A further object is to provide an improved form of feed-dog, throat-plate, and bridge on the bed-plate.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the actual scope thereof will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of a sewing-machine, certain parts being broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the upper portion of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation through a part of the machine-bed and its overhanging arm, illustrating certain parts of the reversible feed mechanism and the presser-foot associated therewith. Figs. 1 and 5 are detail views in plan and elevation, respectively,

of a part of the bridge and illustrating the needle-passage therein. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a form of throat-plate. Figs. 7, 7", and 7 represent in edge view, side view, and plan view, respectively, a preferred construction of the feed-dog. Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 3 and showing 'the construction of the parts of Figs. 4: to 7, incliisive, in an assembled condition. Fig. 9 is a detail cross-section on the line 12 12 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are views in front, rear, and edge elevation, respectively, of a pivoted reversing member that is associated with the controlling-bar of the reversible feed devices; and Fig. 13 is a detail cross-section on the line 16 16 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

5 designates the bed-plate of a sewing-machine, havinga marginal flange 6 and a crossbridge 7, one face of said bridge being curved as at 8. Beneath this bed-plate is an oscillatory shuttle-lever 9, having an arm 10, to which is connected a driving-bar 11, adapted to impart rising-and-falling movement to a 'feed-bar 12, as in my prior application. This feed-bar is also actuated back and forth by a driving-bar 13, which is operated by a crank 1% at the distant end of the machine-bed plate, the other end of said bar 13 having a roller or stud 15 arranged to play in a reversing gear-cam 16, that is pivotally mounted on the under side of the bed-plate. This gear-cam is controllable by a lever 17, to one end of which is pivoted a controlling-bar 18, the latter being pivoted at its other end portion to a slide 19, that is confined in a guide 20 on the under side of the bed-plate. These devices are similar to the reversible feed mechanism disclosed in my prior application, and no claim therefor is made in this case.

On the under side of the bed-plate is a fixed locking-plate 21, adapted to be secured in place by screws, as shown in Fig. 13, and the inner edge of this plate has a series of teeth 22, which are adapted to have interlocking engagement with similar teeth 23, the latter being provided on one edge of the controllingbar 18. This controlling-bar is forced in an outward direction by a plunger 24, that is fitted slidably in a socket 25, provided in an end portion of the bridge 7, and against this plunger acts a coiled spring 26, which serves to normally hold the toothed edge of the controlling-bar 18 in interlocking relation to the fixed plate 21.

ber makes the latter cooperate with the fixed plate 27 in a way to throw the controlling- As a means for actuating the controllingbar 18 in a simple and easy way I provide l the devices shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 9 to 12, inclusive, of the drawings.

27 designates a plate or bar which is provided with upstanding lugs 28, arranged to fit against the under side of the bed-plate out side of the marginal flange 6 thereof, and through this plate 27 and its lugs 28 pass the fastening-screws 29 for attaching the plate 27 rigidly to the under side of the bed-plate in spaced relation thereto. Cooperating with this fixed plate 27 and the controlling-bar 18 is a releasing and adjusting member 30. This member is shown in the form of a plate having at one end a knob or finger-hold 32, but the other end of this member is offset at 33 in a way to leave a shoulder 34 on the member and to produce on the ofiset a shoulder 35. (See Figs. 1, 10, 11, and 12.) The shoulder 34 is disposed laterally with respect to the olfset, and it is curved throughout its length, as indicated by Fig. 11; but the other should er, 35, on the opposite side of the member from the shoulder 34, is straight throughout its length, as indicated by Fig. 10, said shoulder 35 being parallel to the straight edge portion of the offset 33.

The offset is provided with a transverse screwhole 36, and this offset portion of the member is arranged to underlap the controlling-bar 18 in a way to be mounted pivotally thereon by a screw 37 ,the latter passing loosely through the perforation 36 of the member and secured in the controlling-bar 18, substantially as shown by Figs. 1 and 9. The member 30 passes freely through the space between the fixed plate 27 and the under face of the bed-plate 5, and the shoulder 34 of this member 30 is brought into opposing relation or contact with the controlling-bar, while the straight shoulder of the offset forming a part of said member is adapted to have engagement with the inner edge of the fixed plate 27. (See Fig. 9.) The knob 32 of the pivoted member is exposed beyond the edge of the bed-plate to be readily accessible to the operator at all times, and this knob can be easily grasped and manipulated in order to turn the member 30 on its pivot 37 and operate the cbntrolling-bar 18 in a way to-disengage its toothed edge 23 from the plate 21 and impart the desired endwise movement to said adjusting-bar for controlling the reversible feed mechanism. The curved shoulder 34 on the pivoted member 30 permits the latter to have the desired pivotal movement with respect to the controlling-bar; but the straight shoulder 35 on the offset of said pivoted membar 18 inwardly and also give it the endwise movement. It will be understood that by shifting the pivoted member toward the right in Fig. 1 one end of the straight shoulder 35 will impinge against the fixed plate 27, so as to force the controlling-bar 18 and the pivoted member inwardly, and at the same time the movement of this pivoted member serves to shove the controlling-bar toward the left, thus disengaging the edge 23 from the plate 21 and making the bar 18 shift the lever 17,

so as to control the feed mechanism and lower the feed-bar and its dog. The pressure of the spring 26 against the bar 18 returns the latter to its normal position, wherein the teeth 23 will interlock with the plate 21 and the member 30 will be returned to its normal position.

I have also associated a releasing device with the bar 18 for the purpose of throwing the latter inwardly without moving it endwise. This releasing device is shown by Fig. 1 in the form of a dog 38, pivoted to the fixed plate 27 in a position to engage with the outer edge of the controlling-bar 18, said dog being provided with a knob 39, that is exposed at one edge of the bed-plate 5. The dog 38 is mounted on the plate 27 adjacent to the pivoted member 30, and it may be easily operated by hand to bring its inner edge into engagement with the controlling-bar, whereby the movement of the dog to one position throws the bar 18 inwardly a sufficient distance to clear its teeth 23 from the locking-plate 21.

As disclosed by my prior application, the feed-bar 12 is mounted in the bridge 7 for movement in vertical and horizontal paths therein, and this bar is equipped with a feeddog, one type of which is shown by Figs. 7 a to 7, inclusive. This feed-dog 40 is provided at its upper end with an offset 41, the latter materially increasing the width of the active surface of said dog. This active surface of the dog is divided into two members 42 43 by a Wide channel 44, and the members 42 43 are formed into teeth 45 by longitudinal channels 46 and transverse grooves 47. (See Fig. 7 The feed-dogis thus equipped with two sets of teeth on the respective members 42 43, and the adjacent teeth are inclined in opposite directions, as shown more clearly by Fig. 7 whereby the dog is provided with an active surface which is effective in feeding the material in one direction or the other, according to the movement which .is given to the dog by the operation of the feed-bar and the devices associated therewith. The otfset portion 41 on the feed-dog provides for the strength necessary to stand the successful operations of the machine, and this offset of the dog has a vertical slot 48, by which the dog is made to cooperate with a bridge having the construction shown more particularly by Figs. 4, 5, and 8 of the drawings.

The bridge 7 is provided in its upper edge with a recessed or cut-out portion &9, and from the edge of this cut-out portion extends a stud 50. One side of this stud is in the plane of the curved face 8 of the bridge, against which travels the shuttle on the shuttle-bar 9, and in this stud is formed a vertical groove or channel 51, the latter opening through one edge of the stud 50 and the arcuate face 8 of the bridge, as shown.

The shank of the feed-dog is connected to the feed-bar 12 in any suitable way-as, for example, by dovetailing one part into the other, (see Fig. l)and the active end of the dog is arranged to play into the recesses or cut-out part 49 of the bridge. The stud 50, projecting upwardly from the recessed part of the bridge, extends into the slot +18 at the active end of the dog, and this dog is thus mounted on the feed-bar and disposed operatively to the bridge in a way to play in the recessed part 49 thereof, while the stud 50 travels in the slot 48 of the dog, thereby compactly disposing the parts and providing means which act as a guide to the dog in its movements.

The bed-plate and the bridge are provided with a guideway for the operation of the ordinary shuttle-slides 52, and between these slides is arranged the circular throat-plate 53, the latter being fastened to the bed in any suitable way. This throat-plate is provided with parallel slots 54, separated by an intervening bar 55, in which is formed a needle throat-aperture 56, the latter being disposed in alinement vertically with the channel 51 of the hollow stud 50 on the bridge 7. The needle is adapted to play in the throat 56 of the plate 53 and in the channel 51 of the stud 50 and the bridge 7, said channel 51 allowing the loop of the needle-thread to be taken up by the looper or shuttle on the shuttle-bar 9 in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. The members 42 43 of the feeddog play in the slots 5% of the throat-plate, so as to engage the work and operate thereon to feed the work in a forward or backward direction.

60 designates a presser-foot associated with the feed mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a reversible feed, the combination of a bridge having an arcuate face and a recessed upper edge, said bridge also having a stud and a needle-channel which opens through said arcuate face and the stud, a slotted throatplate having a needle-perforation in alinement l l l l with said channel of the stud, a feed-bar, and an offset and slotted feed-dog carried by the feed-bar and arranged to play in the recessed edge of the bridge, said feed-dog being divided by a wide channel into spaced members which are disposed to play in the slots of the throat-plate.

2. In a reversible feed mechanism, the combination of a feeding mechanism, a reversing mechanism connected therewith, a controlling-bar for adjusting said reversing mechanism, means for locking said controlling-bar,

a stationary member disposed adjacent to said controlling-bar, and a member pivoted to said controlling-bar and cooperating with said stationary member.

3. In a reversible feed mechanism, the combination of a feeding mechanism,'a reversing mechanism connected therewith, a controlling-bar for adjusting said reversing mechanism, means for locking said controlling-bar, a stationary part disposed adjacent to said controlling-bar, and a member having an offset producing two shoulders, one of which is curved and the other straight, said offset being pivoted to the controlling-bar and said shoulders having cooperative relation to the controlling-bar and the stationary part respectively.

4. In a reversible feed mechanism, the combination of a feeding mechanism, a reversing mechanism connected therewith, a controlling-bar for adjusting said reversing mechan ism, means for locking said controlling-bar, a stationary plate, and an offset member piv oted to the controlling-bar and fitted slidably to said plate, said ofi'set member having a shoulder arranged to engage the stationary plate, and the member being adapted for releasing and adjusting the controlling-bar by a simple turning movement in the one direction or the other.

5. In a reversible feed mechanism, the combination of a feeding mechanism, a reversing mechanism connected therewith, a controlling-bar for said reversing mechanism, a looking device for said controlling-bar, a stationary plate, a member pivoted to the controlling-bar and cooperating with said plate, and a releasing member pivoted upon said plate and arranged to engage said controlling-bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIS AUSTIN SMITH.

WVitnesses:

J NO. M. BITTER, H. T. BERNHARD.

IIO 

